Recently we attended the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Boot Camp, where members of the press were able to go hands-on with a nearly complete version of the final game. I won’t talk much about the story, but it’s worth noting that a several years have passed since MGS4, the Patriots no longer exist, cyborg technology is within reach of all who can pay for it, and Raiden belongs to a corporation protecting a very “important” someone in Africa.

In the first scene, we meet two of the game’s bosses. They are not people with a sad past or who are attached to a feeling: They are simply very powerful cyborgs looking out for their own interests, no matter what they have to do in order to get what they want.

“Zan-Datsu”

Raiden means thunder and lightning, and that’s exactly what he is in this game. The action is frenetic. Raiden can use Blade Mode to cut literally everything, scenery and enemies alike. By cutting certain parts of their bodies, you can expose your enemies’ fuel cells in order to rip them out and recover your energy, a crucial gameplay strategy in that if you cut well, you will be rewarded.

Just as we saw in MGS4, Raiden is a killing machine. With just two attacks, normal and strong, you can execute spectacular combinations. Raiden is also exceedingly agile and quick, and is able to jump over obstacles in Ninja Run with a press of the R1 button. One tip: R1 also deflects your enemies’ bullets, something you will need to do frequently during your extremity-cutting adventure.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Parrying is also extremely important: Using the Square button and the left analog stick at the instant an attacking enemy flashes red, you’ll be able to launch an immediate counterattack. This gets interesting when you begin to encounter enemies who can parry your attacks, leading you to stop their attacks with another parry and so on, in what becomes a mortal dance in which you can lose far more than just a finger.

The first scenario is used to train you in all of the aforementioned skills. And what better way to test them than facing a Metal Gear Ray? Well, actually, there’s two of them. Seeing how Raiden cuts these powerful enemies like a hot knife through butter provides a clear example of what’s waiting for us and of how powerful Raiden has become.

A Trip Around the World

In the second scenario, Raiden travels to Abkhazia. Here we encounter more powerful enemies such as MGS4’s Gekkos, which require fast reflexes and precise parrying to defeat. As you advance, you will face an LQ-84i, a robotic wolf who later becomes a partner.

From there we go to Guadalajara, Mexico. Raiden arrives dressed as a mariachi and promptly hides in the sewers with LQ-84i. And it’s no wonder, because the enemies here are bigger and more aggressive than we’ve seen yet. This sequence of the game opens up a new stealth approach for Raiden, complete with the iconic cardboard box (he must have it on loan from Old Snake). Make no mistake: Revengeance is squarely an action game. But it’s always good to have options, especially when you’re facing the horrors lurking in Mexico’s sewers.

Occasionally, you’ll stumble across computers that you can activate to unlock new VR missions. The VR missions in Revengeance have various levels of difficulty and goals, and you’ll unlock various rewards for completing them — though I won’t spoil the surprises for you.

In the end, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is shaping up to be a refreshing blast of pure action gaming. I particularly liked its emphasis on technique with the parrying system, which is a blast in the midst of tough combat.

@3 ohhhh..didnt know the demo was in ZOE! i really wanna play this..the most recent trailer was beyond epic, i posted the video on fb, tagged all my non-gaming friends, and made them watch the video..BEYOND!

I’m a big fan of Metal Gear and can’t wait for this game, looks amazing! I would love though if the original team that was working on “Metal Gear Solid: Rising” would make a Gray Fox / Frank Jeagar game. I feel like the who idea of having action and stealth through a Ninja would have worked perfectly with Gray Fox the first Cyborg Ninja, plus I find him to have the most interesting back story in the Metal Gear Universe (and I’m excited to have the Gray Fox skin in Rising, really want the team to show some in game screenshots or something of it).

It looks really good and I liked the description of the fighting system. Good report on the game.
Now, I wonder why is this up for the US playstation site and not for the Latin one? Since Lorenzo Grajales wrote it, I thought it’d be on both. Just wondering.
I want to see more on this game and I hope the demo is available soon.

This game is a shame to Raiden’s reputation…looks terrible awful…I’m huge fan of MGS series and of course Raiden too…you guys spoiled his whole personality…I still can’t belive in that.I was very exciting with this game but that trailer from VGAs 2011 was a huge letdown.Anyway I still have hope on Platinum’s work.Here hoping for a demo before release.

The demo was a ton of fun and the game just looks and runs great… really looking forward to February. The only concern is whether or not there will be some variety to gameplay and at least from the demo… boss battles sure switch it up though.

Please ,please ,please….can you do something about all the hacking on MW2?I believe I´m speaking in behalf of thousands of pleople who still enjoy playing the game online the way it´s supposed to be , no hacks and no advantages other than the perks you choose!!!It could be our Christmas present ; ) P.S. If you want PS Network ids they can be provided they To whomsoever it may concern I thank you in advance for updating the software or whatever it needs to be done to end this huge inconvenience which is taking the fun out of the game Big Time!!!

What are the chances of seeing a Metal Gear Solid Collection in the vein of the recent bundles for God of War, inFamous, Resistance, etc. I’d love to have all four games in one box, maybe even the remake of MGS1 on the MGS2 engine.

Is there a chance of this, or is Metal Gear Solid not enough of a PlayStation brand?

Disappointing and shameful how Raiden is in PSASBR when he’s not important to PlayStation, but Snake isn’t when he’s important to PlayStation.

PSASBR should be called Video Games ASBR because instead of it being full of PlayStation icons like it should and is suppose to we have a bunch of non important characters (guests) and a lot of PS icons are yet to be announced.